You didn’t ask for my marriage guidance or advice but I’m going to give it to you anyways.
The debilitating disorder of depression can ruin your marriage and your life if it is not taken care of. There is a very good chance that your depression will NOT just “go away” if you don’t proactively deal with it.
A very popular way that people try to overcome their depression is by going “the self help route”. They buy books, they buy DVD’s, and they take part in forums that deal with depression. It is for sure cheaper, easier, and less embarrassing than going for professional help but not always a good choice.
In this article I am going to present three situations when it is imperative to go for professional help to overcome your depression and not to try to do it by yourself.
1. When there are suicidal thoughts. Sometimes depression can bring a person to want to end their life. If this is the case in your situation then you HAVE TO go to professional AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (if not sooner.) It’s worth the money, its worth the embarrassment, and it’s worth the bother of going outside even in a blizzard.
You might have experienced some relief from your depression when you read self help books or took part in depression forums online. However, if you are having suicidal thoughts, you cannot wait to “reap the fruits of your labor”. You need to get help RIGHT NOW before it is too late.
2. You lack the discipline and motivation to follow what the self help books says to do. Self books are cheap, not intimidating, and you can do most of the exercises in the comfort of your own home.
However, reading them will help you ONLY if you do what the book suggests you do to. If you only read it, get inspired by it, and then put it back on the shelf, then it will not help you.
(Like they say, “Diet books are great, but keep on eating and you won’t lose any weight!”)
A very powerful motivation strategy for a lot of people is to be accountable for what you do to someone else. If you try to overcome your depression only by reading books on the subject you will miss this type of motivation.
If you know yourself from past experiences that self help books, instructional DVD’s, or forums DID NOT help you then you shouldn’t waste your time doing these things but you make an appointment to see a professional. Why should you continue to suffer with your depression when someone can help you?
3. Your job, health, or relationship are suffering. When you try to beat your depression yourself even if you are successful it takes a lot of time. If you see that things are getting bad to such a degree that the damage is on the verge of being irreversible, then you cannot wait around any longer. Even if you will succeed in the end, you might be jobless, divorced, or suffer bad health for long time to come.
Is it really worth it? If you see that things are really bad then go for professional help A.S.A.P.
O.K. that is my unsolicited marriage guidance and advice. If you have no suicidal thoughts, your job, health and relationships are not tremendously suffering, and you have the self discipline to carry out what self help books then it’s a shame to waste the money and go to a professional to help you overcome your depression.
However if you are not like that then listen to my advice; spend the money and go to a competent professional and begin to be happy and have a happy marriage once again.